Literature NEW PUBLICATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25742, 13 January 1945, Page 7

Literature

NEW PUBLICATIONS

A Guide to the Museum

A museum without guide-books is in some sense like a kitchen without a cook. It is in keeping with the more lively policy of display and interpretation in the Otago Museum that it should now issue booklets acquainting the visitor with the exhibits of special interest that are awaiting his inspection. Just issued is a small but very nicely-produced guide entitled Introducing the Otago Museum, which calls attention briefly to the special treasures of the institution, and provides a general direction to the various sections. This would be a useful little book in any case; it becomes a minor collector’s item through its embellishments in line drawing by Lily A. Daff. Chief item among these is the frontispiece, illustration. coloured by hand, of the Museum’s rarest specimen, Notornis hochstetteri, known as the takahe. At the price asked, of ninepence a copy (6d without colour) the guide should become a “must” for visitors to the Museum. Dark Doings

Gilbert Ward, of Timaru, follpws his earlier ebullient skits on the life and manners of the native New Zealanders, which included “The Hermit at the Hermitage” and “The Very Good Earth,” with a novelette, The League of the Brown Skirts (G F. Ward and Co., 2s 6d). This is a hectic tale of a feminist organisation on Fascist lines controlled bv one Mrs Cumber-Glubber whidh has as its diabolical purpose the taking over of New Zealand. But worse than the Brown Skirts’ initial intention of kidnapping the Cabinet—a catastrophe some persons might regard with classic calm—is their plan for enslaving all of New Zealand’s male population. The iniquities of the Marriage Act they have drafted, which would make all males the matrimonial prey of these designing and not always prepossessing invaders, must be read of to be believed. The work of Jimmy Dentone and the charming reporter, Madge, who frustrate the shrewish gang, will be applauded by all males of marriageable age in the Dominion; and should provide the readers of Mr Ward’s frivolities with some goodentertainment. Concerning Tito One of the rnost remarkable figures of the war—Mr Churchill has called him “ glorious in the fight for freedom ” —is the subject of a laudatory brief biography in Marshal Tito (Hicks, Smith and Wright-Muller, 4s), by, Michael Padev, which now appears in a New Zealand edition. The writer sketches Tito’s career from his underground revolutionary days in Russia, to his emergence as the leader of the powerful and ruthless partisan organisation in Jugoslavia. He emphasises the political significance of Tito’s leadership, which has provided, as he interprets it, a challenge and an inspiration to all the Balkan peoples to unite against aggression. Our copy is through Whitcombe and Tombs.

For Boys and Girls Enid Blyton’s “ Five ’’—three boys, a girl and a dog—who have been the leading characters in severaLbooks for young readers, make a fresn appearance in .Five Run Away Together (Hodder and Stoughton, 9s). This is another exciting and amusing tale of juvenile adventurings, with numerous illustrations, including a frontispiece in colours, by Eileen Soper.